The Secret Goldfish
by Konoha's Kage
Summary: Like half of the classical literature fanfics, this was an English assignment. Procrastination was involved, so it's pretty blech. This was based somewhat off the idea that DC wrote "The Secret Goldfish" not long after his little sister was born.


The Secret Goldfish

A boy peered over the counter as the clerk set a plastic bag on it in front of him. "That'll be eleven fifty-five, dear." the clerk declared cheerfully.

The boy, Hector, peered through the translucent baggie at the clerk. His nose touched the baggie, making it wobble a little. Beside it was a bowl he'd picked out, a tiny plastic cylindrical container that read "Gil's Fish Flakes" in bright yellow letters, and a few other objects he grabbed just because he could.

He stuffed his hand in his pocket, pulling out its contents, a fistful of wrinkled faded green and silver and copper. Hector laid it all down on the counter. The clerk's smile seemed to get a little too stiff and wide as she saw the pile of pennies she would have to go through. "Dear, are you sure your mommy wants you to buy this?"

He stared at her. He hadn't recalled telling her that his mom wanted him to go buy a goldfish but he had the feeling that if he said no, it would make things complicated. "I have some more pennies, if it's not enough…"

"No, I'm sure it's fine." Her lips pursed as she began the arduous task of adding up coins.

Hector rolled around on his heels impatiently. He was pretty sure he'd brought enough money. It had taken a while to save it up. He had sold candies to his school friends for five cents apiece, and a lot of people took advantage of the opportunity to get rid of some excess change. As a result, he had walked all the way to the pet store with his pockets jingling like a Christmas choir or something.

He also performed a few odd jobs here and there, like feeding Ms. DeLaney's cats or delivering Mr. Goodmorrow's jacket to the tailor. But he never did too many of those, or else one of those real gossipy old people would start to ask questions like why he was going around doing stuff for people, just to gather up the money to buy a goldfish. Then it would get around to his parents and then they would give him some talk about responsibility and how he might be too young to make such a "huge commitment". They might even offer to buy him a horse, because then they could hire someone to take care of the horse for him. They couldn't very well hire someone to take care of a goldfish.

Anyway, he didn't want his parents to know, or else he would probably not want to get one anymore.

"Eleven fifty-six," the clerk announced. "You get one penny back."

"Thanks," Hector said. He stuffed everything inside the fishbowl, then the bowl inside a backpack he had brought with him. Finally, he took the baggie with the goldfish inside last. "Bye."

"Your penny."

He stuffed the penny in his pocket. "Thanks."

When he got home, his best friend Andy was waiting at his door. He was kicking a ball around in front of this grotesque fountain Hector's mother had bought, with one of those stone babies on top.

"Do you have it?" Andy asked eagerly.

"Shh!" Hector snapped. "Scream it out to the whole world, why don't'cha?"

Andy modified his voice to a loud whisper. "Do you have it?"

"Of course I have it," Hector muttered. "Why wouldn't I have it?"

They went inside, and were met by the maid. Hector hid the baggie behind his back and Andy tried to help him hide it. The maid assumed that if they were playing some sort of penguin game there was nothing she could do about it.

In the safety of Hector's room, they inspected the goldfish thoroughly. "It's really yellow. Aren't they supposed to be orange?"

"Some of them are like that," Hector said, filling the bowl with water from the bathroom in his room. He didn't put in too much. Goldfish didn't care about up or down or backwards , so the fish wouldn't be able to tell. "Put 'em in here." He took the back from Andy and slipped the goldfish into the bowl of water.

"So what'll you name it?"

"I dunno. Swimmy?"

Andy wrinkled his nose. He turned his attention to the little toys Hector bought. "What'cha gonna do with these?"

"Play catch with him. It's decoration, ya dummy."

"Decoration?" Andy picked up a little plastic bird. "Even this seagull?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"You'll just put him in the water? Seagulls don't swim. They fly."

"Fine, I'll tape it to the edge of the bowl," Hector said.

"The bowl's a little small, isn't it?" Andy asked uncertainly.

"Well yeah, it won't fit under my bed otherwise."

"Your bed?" Andy repeated, alarmed. "But he won't get any sunlight!"

Hector was starting to get frustrated. Why was his friend so upset about everything he did? "I can't let anyone see him. I paid for him with _my _money."

"So?" Andy demanded. "That doesn't mean you can't share him."

"How do you share a goldfish?" Hector said scathingly. "That's stupid!"

Andy scowled. "Fine!" He turned away, leaving Hector feeling guilty for some reason.

"Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad. You're obsessed with that goldfish anyway."

Hector frowned. After a while of silence and Andy didn't say anything more, Hector looked back at the goldfish, who was swimming in little circles around the bowl. He opened Gill's Fish Flakes and dropped a flake inside. The fish headed toward it immediately and consumed it. "The clerk told me not to give too much," Hector said.

"Oh," Andy muttered. He hadn't wanted to say anything, but he was looking interestedly and admiringly at the fish.

"Want to try?" Hector offered.

They looked at each other, then Andy quickly took the container of food.

"Not too much," Hector warned. He watched the fish consume more of the little pellets. "He'll get big soon. I'd have to buy another bowl. It'd be hard to hide."

Andy grinned.

"I wasn't really going to name him Swimmy."

Andy nodded. "I know." But Hector could hear the relief in his voice.

"What do you think I should name him? Goldy?" They both laughed.

"Um… today's February the first. How about Feb?"

Hector laughed again. "That's a weird name. You think funny."

"So you like it?" Andy asked eagerly.

"Yeah. Febby."


End file.
